He still couldn't believe it was her. All this time, centuries later and she was still alive. The one face that always appears in his nightmares, that whole event seared into his immortal memory. The one bit of baggage, that huge bag of rocks, that he could never quite let go of. She stood there right in front of him.

And one of his students was with had stood in his garage for a long time stunned, finally his body started going through the motions of getting rid of the evidence. Just like before she had used some mortal thugs to attack him, wear him down. While his immortal abilities healed his flesh his clothing still showed signs of the conflict. His jacket landed with a small clang from his sword as he dropped to the concrete floor. Slowly balling up his shirt he dropped near, but not in, the basket by the door.

He was so out of it he looked down at the near black t-shirt he didn't remember putting on. Then he noticed the answering machine had a message waiting for him. "Henry, it's George. My friend went to the address where you're student is supposed to be. According to him the place doesn't look like it's been lived in for months. The phone number her mother gave us isn't even connected. I don't know if it proves your concerns but it does look suspicious. I thought I better let you know."

Janet, the student he was worried about. The one he thought might be in trouble. Now everything made sense. The reluctance to open up and make friends, how afraid she acted when her mother showed up to pick her up. If her mother moved around a lot like most Immortals did she would have had spent time in several countries, including Germany.

Unfortunately this wasn't the problem he thought she was in. Considering her sword handling and the bandage she tried to cover up she could be in worse trouble then he originally thought. And more than likely she knew what Janet was.

He needed help.

He dialed Susan's number, knowing she would still be up. His first instinct was to call Natalya but he needed to talk to somebody who knew the situation a little better than she did. Somebody who knew more than just the basics.

"Owen?", Susan said as she picked up.

"Susan...", was all he could get out.

But she could tell just by the sound of his voice, "Owen what happened?"

He mind was so jumbled he couldn't voice it at first, "I saw her."

"Saw who?"

"Himiko's killer," the full weight of those words hit him the moment he said it out loud.

"Are you sure?"

He answered back a little angrier than he intended, "I would not mistake that woman for somebody else."

"I know you wouldn't," she said. He knew she was trying to keep him calm. It was making him even angrier. But he forced himself to keep himself in check. "Owen what happened? Did you kill her?"

"No." Disgust quickly set in as soon as he realized he let his opportunity for vengeance slip away. "There were thugs and one of my students. The one I've been telling you and Natalya about."

"That Janet girl? What was she doing there?"

"She was fighting for her." He remembered her mouthing the words I'm sorry. "She was fighting me before I could get my hands on her."

Susan didn't respond right away. "Owen," he heard the hint of fear in her voice, a slight tremble in how she usually spoke, "did you... did you kill her?"

"No." He heard her sigh out in relief. He lowered his head and held it in his hand, "God help me Susan, I wanted too. And I seriously thought about it for a moment."

"Jesus Owen," she blurted out. "Look stay right there. I'll be there in a couple of hours but whatever you do stay there. Don't go out, don't go hunting just stay there. Do you understand me?"

"Alright," he said softly. He heard her hang up and he lowered the phone and dropped into the chair. His mind stopped swirling around just long enough for him to go back to that day.

~1769~

The midday sun peaked through the holes in the leafy canopy above them as they tracked their pray. Owen tried not to get too over confident since this was one of the very few things he was better at than Naoto behind him. He readied an arrow in his bow as he realized the trail was getting fresher and his brother-in-law did the same. Staying where he was and staying quiet as possible he scanned the forest for it and soon spotted it.

A beautiful looking spotted sika, or deer, grazing on some shrubs several meters away. So far it was oblivious to their presence. It was almost a shame they had to do this to such a magnificent looking animal but summer was long over and the lightness of fall was starting to get a nip in the air that told of what was coming. As he was the one best in position to take the shot without alerting the animal Owen quickly drew the bow back and took aim. Letting it fly the arrow just flew over their prey and hit the tree behind it. Alerted to the danger it quickly ran for safety as Owen mumbled a few curses he had picked up since living in this land.

Behind him Naoto calmly stated, "I do not think it was possible but I believe your skills with the bow has gotten worse since you have been with us Little Immortal."

He bristled a little from the comment, "I was close."

"Close you may have been," Naoto said with a smile, "but my belly was no closer to being full." He shot him a look but the older immortal kept on smiling. Eventually he smiled as well accepting it as the good natured jab that it was. "Perhaps it would be best if I took the shot the next time."

"Then you will want to claim the largest selection of meat," he told him as he retrieved his arrow from the tree.

"I would be more than willing to share with my sister," Naoto told him. "If Himiko wants to share that with you that is entirely her decision."

"She's my wife so she had better." He looked behind the older immortal seeing something dark in the sky. In moments he realized it was smoke. "Something is on fire."

Naoto looked back looking worried, "Perhaps we should cut this task short for today." Owen nodded in agreement as they hurried back. That hurriedness quickly turned into a run as they realized the village itself was set ablaze. "Bandits!", Naoto exclaimed as he hidden blade from his walking stick. Owen dropped the bow as he drew his long sword. Naoto quickly cut down a bandit that came toward him as they got closer.

Owen could already feel the heat from the blaze, "Who would such a thing?"

"Why do any one do such a thing," Naoto told him. "Come we must try and help those we can." Naoto jumped into the village without any thought. Owen was quickly behind them. Once near the center of the village while the smoke was still thick the buildings where relatively untouched although there were a few bandits splashing some sort of liquid on them while other held torches at the ready. The two of them quickly took out the torchbearers before the ones wielding the pots could react. Quickly dispatching them

Naoto squatted down and examined the contents of one of the pots spilling onto the ground. Rubbing it between his finger he knew what it was, "Oil."

Owen raised the top of his shirt to his face to try and protect himself from the smoke as he studied the scene as he stepped forward, "It looks like they started on this end and are headed for the shore."

"They are trying to herd the villagers toward the shore," Naoto surmised. "Come Little Immortal." They soon came across a group of villagers trying to fight off those bandits. With their help the bandits were quickly run off. But Owen was positive that one looked right at him and backed off first. He had never seen that person before so why would a bandit recognize him?

One of the villagers grabbed his arm and started talking at a rapid pace. As fluent as he was in the native tongue Owen was still having a hard time understanding him. "They have her? Who?"

"Himiko", he finally got out. The two immortals looked at each other with equal tread.

"We will do our part here," another one said. "Go after her."

"Naoto this way," he said going in the direction the group went. Fear exploding in his stomach Owen took down any bandit stupid enough to come in his path with a weapon. Smoke still thick in the air they found her near the shore. On top of a small hill overlooking the sea. A group of those same bandits between them and her. As well as a blond haired white woman wearing local armor, a local sword in her hand.

"Owen!", Himiko cried out obviously bound and on her knees. Neither hesitated to charge the group and they used their numbers to swarm them. They tried to cut their way through the group but more seemed to appear to take their place.

"Is the witch growing them out of the ground?", Owen grunted.

"Just break their line," Naoto grunted in return. But that was easier said then done. Every time Owen made an opening another popped up in it's place. Naoto glanced a look behind the ass he heard the villagers cries get louder, more of the village was on fire and coming closer.

"Owen!" Himiko cried out again. He looked up seeing tears run down her cheeks, almost copying the scar on her cheek on the left side. He also felt it as they got closer, the buzz. And it wasn't from Naoto. It was from her, all of this was for him. And he fought harder to free his wife from this witch. But they would not stop coming.

"Out of my WAY!" he shouted as he cut down another one not caring if they understood his English or not. Then one of them pierced his side with a blade and forced him to a knee. The rest kept Naoto from him as he was forced to face the witch.

"Time to free you brother," she said in English. Himiko cried out for him one more time, both afraid that she was going to take his head. Then she raised her sword as she stood behind her. Then in on motion she cleanly cut her head from her body.

"Himiko!", Naoto shouted.

"NOOO!" Owen cut down the one with thee blade in his side. And he quickly eviscerated two who got in his path. The witch dropped the sword and smiled as she backed up and feel off the cliff backwards and plunged into the sea. Owen's charged faltered as he got closer to Himiko. He stopped as he looked at her face looking at him with half closed eyes. Sadness almost overtook him and dropped a knee. He reached out to caress her cheek but stopped, hand making a fist as he looked at the cliff, tears in his eyes. Charging with a yell that would frighten the beast himself he jumped off after her and disappeared for several moments.

Popping back up he looked around before going back under. Popping up again he shouted, "WHERE ARE YOU!", before plunging his head under the waves one more time.

It was hours later and the sun was starting to set by the time he finally walked onto the beach. Most of the village was gone, burnt to the ground. People were trying to organized something while other tended tot he dead. He caught sight of a few beheading some of the bandits they were able to detain. But he was too hollow inside to care. Nobody paid him any attention as he past them. His feet took him to his home, door busted open, evidence of a struggle evident from the mess inside. Naoto came out still looking shocked as he spotted him. Dropping his sword as he staggered forward he stood right in front of him. Right at the edge of the holy ground Naoto had built his home on. Dropping to his knees he closed his eyes and held his head up, neck totally exposed. "Do it."

"Owen," Naoto spoke but he wasn't unsheathing his sword.

"They were here because of me," he told him. "I couldn't protect her. I failed her." Still Naoto didn't move. "DO IT!"

Finally he opened his eyes when he felt the older immortal's hand on his shoulder. He

knelt in front of him, holding back the tears. "I failed her as well." Owen tried hard to hold it back, Finlay's words haunting him after Deborah's death. "Do not hold back Owen," Naoto told him. "There is no one here to see but me." Owen still fought, then Naoto held him close and he fought no longer. All the sadness and anger came out of him as both mourned their loss.

~now~

The phone had been ringing for awhile now in his hands. The ringtone told him it was Natalya. It rang long enough to go to voice mail then it started ringing again. Before it could go to voice mail again he hit connect and slowly put it up to his ear. "Owen? Finally. Baby what's going on? Susan called me a few minutes ago and told me to make sure you're still home."

"Himiko's killer," it wasn't any easier to say now than it was before, not without his anger rising.

"Oh my God," she gasped. She may not have all known the details but she knew what this meant to him. "Okay Owen you don't have to say anything. Just listen to me talk for now. All right?"

"I'm ready to tell you about it."

Those words came out before he even realized what he was going to say. But he knew there was some truth behind them, he had to tell her.

"Owen you don't have too," she told him. "I know this is some rough territory for you. Don't go dredging up anything if you don't have too."

"No I have to tell you." His mind was already there. He was reliving the anger over and over again as that dark voice chuckled in the back of his mind. "I want you to know exactly what happened. I want you to know why I want her and everybody with her dead."